Seth Damm Knows the Ropes

Seth creates one-of-a-kind wearable works of art in the unexpected medium of thick rope. Each of his pieces is made from 100% organic cotton rope made by a small family business in Pennsylvania. He deconstructs, hand dyes, contorts and knots the rope into unique sculptures that are meant to be worn as jewelry.

We find his color palettes especially exciting, with many his pieces constructed of ropes dyed in bright, saturated hues of marigold, cobalt and magenta, accented with pops of neon silk ribbon, beads and sequins. The bright, modern color palettes juxtaposed with the primitive and tactile rope look quite fresh. For those who prefer a more neutral look, he has selections that lean more on the denim, earthy, natural palettes. Quite refined, we must say.

Before he found inspiration for these rope creations, Damm was still an artist, just working in (many) entirely different mediums. After years of living in cities like London, New Orleans, Oaxaca, and San Francisco, Seth made his way back to his native Seattle where he resides today. His original focus was in printmaking but has also worked in mediums such as painting, installation, video, and performance.

To create the Neon Zinn collection, Seth studies “rope’s layered history and its many uses, both positive and negative.” He also takes inspiration from social activist and writer Howard Zinn, who he says “helped [him] maintain a positive outlook as [he] began to drape rope around [his] neck and explore ways of transforming it into attractive, intriguing forms of jewelry.”

So these incredibly cool pieces of jewelry are organic, androgynous, rooted in social activism, both art and fashion, and they’re totally badass. We are so on board with this guy.